|
What You Should Notice When Dealing With Jewish Traditions For Funeral
According to Jewish funeral traditions, the deceased should never be left unattended. A watchmen, or "Shomer" stays with the body from death until the funeral and burial. Usually the family will stay with the deceased as well. The first person to call upon a death is the rabbi, who will set the time of the funeral. Funerals are held in the synagogue or temple, however many modern Jewish families are opting for graveside services only.
The Jewish custom calls for a closed casket and no viewing of the body because it is disrespectful to look at a person that is unable to look back.
Jews typically do not embalm the deceased, unless it is required by law. Instead, the Chevra Kadisha, a sacred society of Jewish followers, prepare the body for burial. They perform the Jewish Taharah, a purification process.
They bathe the body and dress it in the Tachrichim, which is the traditional burial garment. It is a simple shroud without any pockets. This symbolizes to all that the deceased does not take any material possessions with them when they leave this world and that God will judge them based on their merits and deeds alone.
Families are able to choose their own caskets and make decisions regarding funeral details, however Jewish custom calls for wooden caskets with no metal and no flowers at the funeral.
Funerals usually last anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. They consist of a eulogy, Scripture readings, and reading of the Psalms. Family members and other mourners perform the K'riah, or the rendering of the garment, either before or after the ceremony. This consists of tearing their clothing or placing a black ribbon on the outside of their clothes to show that they are in mourning. While Jewish funeral traditions are not kept as strictly as they once were, they are still followed by those in the Jewish faith.
|
|
